Rex Ryan may not be looking over his shoulders just yet, as his job is currently secured as of right now, but the beleaguered Jets head coach has a ton of microscopes pointed at him during his down-time in the fun and sun. Tattoo-gate is running wild and free in the media, and coming off the controversy surrounding the tat of his wife, Michelle, who is bearing Mark Sanchez’s number on his right arm, tattoo artist Eugene Taase has confirmed the authenticity of the ink, along with Ryan himself, who talked about in a press conference this past Tuesday. Looks like Rex loves Mark alil’ more than we thought, huh?

Says him:

“There’s a question of, ‘Is that a real tattoo or not?’ Ryan said. “I’ll keep you guessing. But no, it’s funny, it’s actually a tattoo I’ve had going on three years now. I know what you’re thinking. Obviously if Sanchez doesn’t play better that number is changing. That’s pretty much a given.”

Ryan then admitted that the woman is indeed his wife, and he took a moment to honor her during a moment of awkwardness in the press room.

“I’ve been married 25 years, and in my eyes my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world,” Ryan said. “So that’s what it is.”

Taase said he tattooed the image for Ryan in 2010.

“Btw, it’s a fan drawing he brought in himself, we just agreed on changing the number from 8 to 6!!! Lol,” Taase wrote.

Local apparel brand Crosstown New York unearthed and tweeted Taase’s post on Monday morning. Crosstown put a T-shirt based on Ryan’s tattoo up for sale on Sunday.